


If You Seek, You Will Find

by LetoaSai



Series: Alolan gods [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Exploring, Gods, M/M, Magic, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-09 09:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17999051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: Gladion was just looking for a little freedom away from his mother. Schedules and strict rules composed most of his life and he wished for something more unexplainable. Ending up finding an Alolan god crushed his expectations.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Gladion was happy to be out of the car, happier still to be away from his mother. He’d long stopped caring about what she was studying or exploring this time. 

When there was a chance to get her name or photo in the paper she was the most warm hearted, charismatic person in the world. When there wasn’t, she was indifferent at best. She strived for perfection which included her less that perfect son. He’d argued time and time again that they would both benefit from her leaving him behind but she instead insisted on dragging him along with her to her every new interest. 

This time was a huge group of islands in the middle of nowhere while she researched its culture and gods. There was some huge mystery to them but really, Gladion hadn’t been listening. 

It was Ms. Wicke who invited Gladion along on her little tour of the islands, both of them knowing he’d be happier the further away he was from his mother. Lusamine wouldn’t even notice his absence for hours.

It felt good to stretch his legs but he wasn’t quite sure what they were doing on a little beach. 

“So?” he started, tugging at his black jacket, immensely relieved Ms. Wicke let him change out of the ridiculous clothes his mother always forced on him. “What are we doing here?” 

“Well, your mother and the others are down that way,” She gestured flippantly from the direction they’d left and hour or two before. “The islanders have built an altar to the gods and that’s what they’re studying today. This however, it’s referred to as the storyteller beach. It’s probably something for tourists but i thought it could be interesting.” 

“Anything is more interesting then standing five steps behind my mother at all times.” Gladion shrugged, kicking off his shoes and picking them up to carry as they walked through the sand. “How long do you think we’ll be here for?” 

“There’s no way to know,” Ms. Wicke shrugged. “That would be up to your mother since this little adventure is her doing.”

Gladion rolled his eyes. “Story of my life. What caught her interest this time?” 

“Who knows. There are many stories about these islands. Weather phenomenons. Migration deviations. Things like that. The islanders say it is the gods doing but you know your mother, she’ll find the scientific route if it kills her.” Ms. Wicke mused. 

“Then let us pray for magic. The one thing in this world besides me my mother will never comprehend.” 

Ms. Wicke patted his shoulder but didn’t comment. He was right after all. She was more of a mother to Gladion that Lusamine had ever been and little trips like this were what kept him sane. 

The pair walked along the beach in comfortable silence, Wicke occasionally picking up shells and Gladion enjoying the sounds of waves. 

“How many islands make up Alola again?” he asked. 

“Ten, but i believe only six of them are inhabited.” 

Gladion thought that over and shrugged when an answer didn’t immediately spring to mind. “Why?” 

“The other four islands are sacred. It’s where the gods of Alola live.” 

They both turned to to the man who answered, he stood a few feet away, fishing pole in hand as the line carried out into the ocean. He was shirtless and while his face was a little scruffy the rest of him was eye catching. His back was covered in interesting black swirls, the ink glistening in the sun. 

“Yeah?” Gladion asked, mildly interested.

The man grinned lazily and nodded. “Oh yeah. Names Kukui. I guess you’re visiting?” 

“Yes.” Ms. Wicke smiled and bowed her head to the stranger. 

Gladion folded his arms. “Is it like, out of respect? Is that the reason no one lives on the other four islands?” 

Kukui shook his head. “The gods never gave anyone the chance. They might be close by but no one can get to the islands of the gods. People have tried over and over and they either end up going in circles until they end up where they started, or they disappear completely. Never heard from again.” 

“Spooky,” Gladion nodded in approval.

“That is another matter your mother wanted to pick apart. The claims that people can not get to the other islands.” Ms. Wicke added, sighing when her cell phone rang. She answered it with a polite hello and turned away to talk to Fabi who was yelling.

Gladion rolled his eyes. “Oh, i’m sure she’ll try.” 

Kukui chuckled, “She’ll need luck on her side. The islands are all that way. Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'ula Island, and Poni Island. From here you can see Melemele island.” 

“Can you?” Gladion asked, caving to his curiosity as he wandered to stand next to the other man. “Where?” 

“Right down there?” Kukui pointed, waiting as Gladion squinted and finally decided that the shadow he saw in the distance must have been the island. 

“Looks far but if i can see it a little i guess it isn’t.” Gladion muttered. “I guess all the ways of getting there have been tried.” 

“Oh yes.” Kukui nodded, “Some more dangerous than others. You interested in the gods?”

Gladion thought about it for a moment and nodded. “Mystery’s are nice. My mother always has to nitpick about everything little thing. Sometimes it’s nice not knowing. You say the gods live there so, why not?”

Kukui chuckled and nodded his agreement. “It’s better if you let life surprise you.” 

“Must be nice.” Gladion muttered sounding bitter. “I’m sick to death of living on a schedule.” 

“Yeah?” Kukui mused, “Guess you really aren’t from here.” 

“No, but…” Gladion looked around. “It’s nice. If there were shade i could fall asleep on this beach.” 

“Sand does make a comfortable, if messy bed.” Kukui laughed a little harder. “What do you say to a little exploring? You can beat your mother to the most interesting experiment.” 

“Experiment?” Gladion asked, having trouble tearing his eyes off the water. He’d never felt much of an attachment to the ocean but they way it rocked back and forth erased all of his agitation from the day. 

“To see if you can get to Melemele Island.” 

It took a moment but his expression clouded with confusion. “Didn’t you say you can’t get there? I’d either end up back here or i’d disappear. You want me to disappear?” 

Kukui offered a shrug. “They might have disappeared, but everywhere is somewhere, right? Besides, even if someone made it to the Central Alolan Islands and returned, i doubt they’d tell anyone.” 

Gladion snorted, “Yeah, okay. You been there?” 

“I’ll never tell,” He grinned. “Test your luck?” He nodded back to the waves where a small row boat sat drifting back and forth in the waves. 

“That was not there before.” Gladion’s eyes narrowed, refusing to believe he was that unobservant. It wasn’t large or anything, maybe enough for two people to sit in comfortable but it wasn’t there before damn it.

“You sure?” 

“Yes.” 

Kukui laughed again, reeling in his fishing line that he’d been largely neglecting while they spoke. “You’re mother sounds like she’s on the side of science. What about you? Plan to follow in her footsteps or are you on the lookout for magic?”

“I’m not actively looking for anything.” Gladion said, glancing back at Ms. Wicke who was still speaking on the phone, her back turned to them. “Why do you want me to try? This some crap you pull on tourists?” 

“Nah, i wouldn’t bother with all that. Tourists don’t usually get it. Not even all of those native to Alola get it, and even then, not all of them will have the nerve to travel to the gods home. What about you? Do you have the nerve? Can you do what your mother surely won’t be able to do.” 

Gladion scowled, feeling manipulated, but at least he was aware of it. He was tired of being the illusion of the son his mother portrayed to people. He was tired of going on these trips and losing a piece of himself in the process. What could it really hurt? 

He’d either try, get turned around and end up on this little stretch of beach again or… or what? Disappear? Logically, the people that disappeared probably died. Their boat could have tipped or they drowned by some other means. Weather could have blown them off course and they ended up elsewhere. Maybe they hadn’t ever planned to make it to the gods islands and instead used it as an excuse to run away and never returned. 

All of those things made sense, but then maybe there were gods on these four magic islands and they just decided to stay. 

Gladion glanced back at Ms. Wicke again and didn’t imagine the phone call wrapping up any time soon. 

“Okay. Why not?” 

Kukui chuckled and nodded his head to the boat. “It’s all yours, kid.” 

“Thank you,” Gladion muttered, swallowing back his nerves as he walked into the water up to his knees and paused as the waves pushed against him. He pulled out his wallet and phone and shoved them into his shoves he was still carrying to hold them over his head. The boat was only about waist deep but by the time he was finished getting hit with waves he was mostly soaked already. 

He threw his shoes into the boat and climbed in, only terrified for a second when he thought he might tip the boat over as he hauled himself over the side but it straightened itself as he tumbled in. 

“Ow, damn.” He muttered, righting himself and making sure his phone didn’t get wet. There were two oars in boat and his arms already hurt just thinking about rowing all the way to the island. 

Gladion looked back up the line of the beach and Ms. Wicke was still occupied, never once noticing his escape. Kukui however was gone. He looked up and down the shore of the beach and didn’t see a trace of him. 

“So he’s got tricks.” Gladion rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He turned around to see if he could see the island he was headed towards. It was still a dark shape in the distance. 

“Well,” Gladion sighed, pulling the oars out to get started. “May as well.” 

After a trial and error period that lasted for about ten minutes he finally got the hang of rowing. Getting passed all the waves the kept trying to push him back to shore helped immensely and he used the continuous motion to keep his thoughts off the terror that was simply rowing out into the ocean with only the vaguest ideas of where he was going to keep in mind.

He rowed and rowed and talked to himself and prayed he’d have a cell phone signal out of the water when he inevitably got lost. It felt like minutes and hours all at once and by the time he glanced behind him, he could only just barely see the beach behind him that he’d left. 

“I did not think this out.” Gladion muttered, taking his wet jacket off finally. It was way too hot to be in all black no matter how he loved to play off being unaffected by the heat. He gave himself a short break, letting the boat be rocked back and forth a bit before getting back to work. He’d never get anywhere just sitting there and one way or another, seeing land would be nice. At least things seemed like they were going well for him. 

It was a stupid decision to row out into the ocean but it was going better than he would have expected on a sane day. With that thought in mind it was almost disappointing that he hadn’t seen anything magical. Not that he was even certain he’d know something magical when he saw it. 

He grown up in sterile labs and white tiled rooms. His mother had taken away everything even remotely whimsical before he’d turned ten. She’d wanted him to be well aware of harsh realities but he stood firm in the belief that there must have been a better way to introduce a child to the world beyond crushing their sense of wonder. 

Sitting in a row boat in the middle of the ocean was probably the most magical place he’d ever been. It was soothing and eerie all at once. He’d often thought adventures were stupid but maybe he had a knack for them. If this one turned out alright he’d have a reason to do it again. 

Gladion continued to row for well over and hour and his arms felt like they were going to fall off. Still he didn’t feel like he’d made any progress. The gods island in front of him looked like a tiny blur, the only difference was that now the island he’d started off from was equally tiny. The harder he squinted the more he felt inklings of dread begin to spread. This really was a stupid idea. 

With a groan he pulled the oars back into the boat and laid out on his back to stare at the sky. This was not a good idea. He could drift off in any direction and be lost. Sure he had his phone and could call someone for help but he wasn’t looking forward to that. His mother would never let him hear the end of it. 

He’d be put under constant supervision after this as if he were a child. She was always treating him like a baby as if it were possible to recall that he was already eighteen. Lusamine always had to be making all of the decisions around her, even ones for other people. When she found out he’d climbed into a strangers boat to see if he could reach the gods islands on his own she would feign a stroke. 

If only he could see her expression. Gladion smiled faintly, seeing that would have made this whole failed trip worth it.

He felt his heart kick up into his throat when he felt the bottom of the boat scrap sand. The sound was awful and the boat wobbled back and forth as the waves beached it on land. Gladion sat up with a jerk and could hardly help it when his jaw dropped at the sight. 

There was no sign of the beach he’d come from or the nearby road with cars passing. Instead there was a thick stretch of sand that quickly warped into trees. The lush green area circled the island for as far as he could see. 

“Fucking cool.” Gladion muttered, stumbling his way out of the boat and dragging it onto the beach to keep it from floating away on him. He’d most likely need it to get back at some point, assume it didn’t magic itself away the same way it appeared. He made a face at the thought and patted the side of the boat. 

“Please don’t abandon me, boat.” He panted as he pushed it further onto land. He nearly collapsed by the time he deemed it good enough. The back half of the boat was still in the water but with all the trouble he was having just to move it he decided to hope it wouldn’t go anywhere. 

Gladion grabbed his shoes and replaced his valuables to his pockets before deciding to explore. 

“Well, i didn’t die. This is looking up.” He commented as he walked down the stretch of sand. The breeze made the hot temperatures more bearable and he was close enough to the water that the spray of the ocean felt nice. 

He glanced back after a minute or two and was relieved to see the boat was still there. It was a small silver lining to the odd predicament he allowed himself to be in but he was ready to take the next step towards stupidity. The trail of sand grew smaller and smaller and he decided to try his hand at exploring the trees. The level of foliage was more than Gladion had ever gotten to see up close. It wasn’t like he’d ever had a chance to explore a patch of woods and this seemed to be more than that. 

There were little flowers growing all over the place and the trees all seemed to be intertwined. Birds chirped and fluttered through branches and Gladion would never admit to nearly shrieking at the hanging spider that was bigger than his palm. He did not do spiders.

He tried to keep his path straight so he’d be able to find his way back to the water but he was sure he’d gotten twisted around at some point. 

What made this island special anyway? Like why did the gods pick the four islands they supposedly inhabited? Location? Magical significance? Was he trespassing? Kukui told him to try but he couldn’t exactly throw someone else under the bus when he was the one that traveled by boat. 

He couldn’t tell what time it was anymore but the island was sure pretty with soft rays of sun shining through the tree branches. It made everything seem to glow and come alive. It could have been nature at it’s finest, or a gods influence. Either way, it had Gladion pulling out his phone to take a few pictures. 

Everything felt alien to him, but it was his first time on islands like these. He really didn’t know what was completely normal or magical, but this place sure felt like magical. 

He heard a soft sound and stopped just in time to keep from stepping on a small black cat. It meowed quietly and rolled over onto its back, pawing at the air for attention. 

“Um, hi kitty.” Gladion muttered, crouching down and hesitantly reaching out to rub the cat behind its ears. “I know that not all cats are domesticated but are you really native to an island that supposedly has no people on it?” 

He got a gentle purring in response, but really had he gotten any other response he might have freaked out a little. 

“You do seem used to people,” Gladion muttered, laughing softly when he tried to pull away and the cat grabbed at his hands again to continue the petting. “You’re sweet, but i’m in the middle of exploring and getting hopelessly lost on an island that is supposedly unreachable but here i am. You know what? I don’t even know what i expected to find. Gods i guess.” 

He stood up and nearly tripped when the cat continued to rub it’s side against his legs. “You can come with me if you want kitty but i don’t exactly know where i’m going.” He’d forgotten which direction he’d come from and just headed deeper into the trees with a calm, reckless abandon. 

He’d assumed the cat would wander off but instead it stayed around his feet when not attempting to pounce on a nearby bird. The lack of city noise was obvious and it really felt like he was in the middle of nowhere, but for all he knew a regular neighborhood could have been less than a mile away with only a couple trees between them.

“I could die out here,” He commented to himself. “And possibly never be found. I’d say that also falls under the category of ‘disappeared’.”

“Possibly but there’s no need to die here.” 

Gladion made an undignified sound as he tripped over a root when he heard a new voice way too close and landed on his knees. Barely a second had passed before the cat reappeared and rubbed itself against his chest. 

“Easy there, cute boy. Don’t hurt yourself.” 

Gladion looked up at the guy sitting on a low tree branch and was easily caught staring. His hair was green. Green. He was bare chested, swirls of tattoos across his ribs that reached up to his neck. The same marks fluttered across his shoulders and arms and even one cheek was covered. He had huge brightly colored beads and dark bands of leather around his throat, wrists and ankles. The only clothes he were was a skirt. Sarong? Whatever it left very little to the imagination. He grinned down at Gladion as if this were a normal occurrence for him. 

“Alola? You okay there cute boy?” he asked, reaching out with his toes to nudge Gladion’s shoulder when all he did was stare. “You’re not moving.” 

“You…” Gladion blinked. “Who are you?” 

The green haired boy grinned. “My name is Hau. What’s yours?” 

“Gladion…” 

“Nice to meet you Gladion! You must be a nice guy, Litten likes you.” 

“Litten?” 

Hau chuckled and pointed at the cat that was pressed against Gladion’s leg. “Great judge of character that Litten. What are you doing here?” 

Gladion glanced around once more before he realized he was still on his knees in front of this guy. He knocked Hau’s foot away from him which had been resting against his shoulder since being poked. “Exploring.” 

“Poor baby, you must have been really lost to get here,” Hau commented, watching Gladion as he stood up. 

“I’m not lost,” Gladion grumbled. 

“Yeah? Where are we then?” 

Gladion cringed and never liked it when he was put on the spot. “Melemele,” he muttered. “I think. Kukui said-” 

“Kukui!” Hau laughed as slid from his branch. “Poor thing, you really were lost.” He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Gladions neck to squeeze him into an affectionate hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you find your way.” 

“Um? What?” Gladion muttered, feeling his face sting red with heat. 

“You have to be lost to find your way here,” Hau said as he pulled away but he kept his hands on Gladion’s shoulders. “Not like physically lost but in life. Kukui must have seen something and pointed you in the right direction.” 

Okay, what? 

“And he would have done that why? We’d only been talking a few minutes.” Gladion muttered. 

Hau shrugged. “Dunno. Kukui likes his researching and projects. He must have seen something.” 

“So he encouraged me to row to an island of gods? Still doesn’t make sense.” Gladion said. “Is it actually true that people can’t get to this place? I didn’t really have trouble.” 

“Of course not. You were lost.” Hau laughed. “I explained that, cute boy.” 

Gladion sighed, trying not to focus on this flirting guy, but it was so damn hard. “So what? There are really gods here?” 

“Oh lots!” 

Gladion paused, his logic halting to a stop as that little voice in his mind that loved magic perked up. “Really?” 

“Uh huh! There’s me for example.” 

“You?” Gladion blinked. “You’re a god?” 

“I sure am, cute boy.” Hau said, bending over to pick Litten up. “Want to see more?” 

Gladion hesitated. “Is that something you’re allowed to do? Shouldn’t this stuff be secret or something?” 

Hau’s eyes nearly sparkled and he pressed closer to Gladion again and pecked a kiss against his cheek. “You’re sweet and so thoughtful. I like you. It’s okay because it’s you.” 

“Because it’s… me?” Gladion said, refusing to be flustered but he was. 

“Come with me. I’ll show you around. You can be my very first all human friend! It’ll be so much fun.” Hau nodded his head towards a path that Gladion was nearly positive hadn’t been there before. “This way to home!” 

“Okay,” Gladion muttered, taking off after the excitable green haired boy that may or may not actually be a god. What was the worst that could happen?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Gladion just couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. He’d had a vague image in his head of two or three gods residing on the island, one for the land, sea, and sky or something like that. Something seemingly ancient and untouchable. 

Instead Hau dragged him by his wrist to a village that was brimming with people and thriving. They were all dressed similarly to Hau and only about a third of them had the swirling tattoos and vibrantly different colored hair. 

People were cooking, woman were dancing and among them all were all manner of animals both wild and domestic intertwined with the people as if that were perfectly normal. 

Homes peeked out of the surrounding forest and all of them were decorated with detailed carvings. The architecture alone was nothing Gladion had ever seen before. He was no expert but it felt unique to this place alone. 

“Wow,” Gladion muttered, missing the fond smile Hau gave him. 

“This place is called Iki, or Iki Town. It’s where i live.” 

“It is always like this?”

Hau tilted his head to the side. “Like what?” 

Gladion struggled for the words. This was so far outside the realm of his experience. “Colorful. Alive. I don’t know. I haven’t seen a place like this before.” He looked down at Litten who was back to rubbing against his legs and was grateful to have something else to focus on. This was the first time he truly felt out of his depth. 

Hau appeared in front of him, fingers lifting his chin as he pressed his forehead to Gladion’s. “My poor lost boy. I’m sorry you’ve felt so boxed in your whole life.” 

“I’m…” Gladion felt hot but Hau wouldn’t let him divert his gaze. 

“I’ll show you around,” Hau promised. “I’ll introduce you to everyone and we can explore Melemele. I bet you’ll find what you’re looking for somewhere on this island and if not, there are three more.” 

Gladion frowned, feeling a wave of confusion pass through him. “Why? Haven’t you seen it all before?” 

“It’s always more fun with a friend.” Hau grinned, looking oddly cute. “Come. I will show you around.” 

“I’m allowed to be here?” Gladion asked, still feeling wary for all he had been pretending to be an adventurer earlier. “Aren’t these islands sacred?” 

Hau laughed. “You made it here, didn’t you? You are our honored guest!” He pecked a kiss against Gladion’s forehead that left the goth boy floundering as he was dragged into the little town. Great, those were exactly the kinds of feelings he needed right now… 

“Hello Hau!” 

“Back already?” 

“Oh~ Hau’s brought a friend.” 

Gladion had felt like some version of his life had always been on display thanks to his mother and despite being used to it, he’d never felt so embarrassed. His mother dressed him up and took all the right pictures but there hadn’t been any real affection between them since he’d been a tiny little boy. 

Five minutes around Iki Town with Hau and he felt a swell of unfamiliar things. No one knew him but they were ready to like him just because he was at Hau’s side. The giggling comments didn’t go unnoticed either. 

“For your friend Hau,” A woman said, passing over a strand of beads.”Welcome!” She added, offering Gladion a wink. 

Gladion couldn’t even think of declining and Hau didn’t give him the chance to. 

“Thank you! That’s so sweet!” He rounded on Gladion and slipped the necklace over his head. The beads were smaller than the ones Hau wore and they were also a beautiful emerald color. “To match your eyes. That will be good luck i bet. So pretty.” 

“You’ll have to get his ears pierced.” Another nearby woman commented and Hau shrugged with a smile. 

“Maybe.” 

“Um?” Gladion muttered, feeling stupidly shy. He’d literally met hundreds of people. Not only did his mother cycle through employees, they were constantly traveling. He’d been to several countries and was used to talking to people whether he wanted to or not. This however, was all new to him. “Thank you for the necklace.” He mumbled. 

The woman cooed and Hau beamed before dragging him along again. “Good thing i called dibs before we got here! They would have run off with you?” 

“Why?” 

“Why? Because you’re so cute, of course.” Hau laughed and squeezed Gladion’s hand when he just blinked in surprise. “Getting to show a guest around is a huge honor. We don’t get many. It takes a certain kind of person to get to this place after all. I am very fortunate to get to be your guide. I’m very excited.” 

“Guide?” 

“Uh huh.” Hau nodded, all that green hair shaking for a moment as he bobbed his head. “There’s lots of ways to be a guide, but i think we’ll explore like i promised. I think you have what you need and only you can find it.” 

“I don’t…” Gladion muttered, trying to keep up. “I’m not sure i understand. I have what i’m looking for?” 

“You just need to find it.” Hau nodded his confirmation. With a slight hitch to his breathing, Hau jumped forward, forcing Gladion to duck with him as several nearby people did the same. “How cheeky! He’s new!” Hau yelled but his voice dissolved into happy laughter. 

There was a shrill cry and Gladion looked up just in time to see a huge bird. Like a huge, ginormous bird. It was yellow and orange, a huge crown of feathers top it’s head making it look even bigger. 

It was so colorful that had Gladion not seen it moving and heard it’s sounds he might have thought it was some kind of kite that fluttered in the sky. It was every bit as big as the boat he’d rowed to the island in. 

The bird gave another loud cry and sparks flew from its wings as it soared higher into the sky once more. 

“What...was that?” Gladion asked, sounding out of breath as he stared up in wonder. 

“That was Tapu Koko.” Hau explained, helping Gladion back to his feet and dusting him off. “He’s a guardian to Melemele and he likes to get a look at the newcomers. He’s a bit mischievous but very loyal. He always appeared when someone new is about.” 

Gladion just looked at Hau with a wide stare. “He sparked. Like you could actually see the electrical flow around him.” 

Hau nodded as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Gladion had to admit silently that maybe for him it was. “Yes. That is Tapu Koko’s want, i guess.” 

“That’s…” Gladion didn’t know what it was. Amazing? Scary? Magic… Magic was real? Was magic real? He felt his pulse speed up a touch under the realization. Hau claimed he was a god and Gladion would love to believe him but he hadn’t seen anything particularly spectacular. Well, other than green hair and a naked chest that was worth staring at. The island guardian on the other hand was something tangibly different. 

“I can’t wait to show you around if something like that put those pretty sparkles in your eyes.” Hau said, reaching out to stroke his knuckles against Gladion’s heated cheek. “Is that what moves you? Things you’ve never seen before?” 

“I’ve never seen anything like this entire island before.” Gladion said, reaching up to pull Hau’s hand away from his face. “It’s like it’s a place where magic is created.” 

Hau faltered, suddenly absorbing that shyness that Gladion had been feeling earlier. “I was created here, you know?” 

“Well…” Gladion swallowed and turned away, hoping to find something new to direct his attention towards. “Still magic….” He took off in an aimless direction, avoiding the dancers and reaching up to finger the beads he now wore. He wasn’t used to having something around his neck but the beads were cool to the touch and fiddling with them would probably become a habit. 

“Don’t leave me behind!” Hau laughed, appearing by his side and grabbing one of his hands to lace their fingers together. “I’m the guide remember!” 

“Right, sure.” Gladion cleared his throat, wishing the stupid butterflies in his stomach would settle down. “How long does a tour last?” 

“Tour? Um?” Hau shrugged. “However long we want it to.” 

That was vague and oddly thrilling because of it. 

“That could be minutes or days.” Gladion said. “How long will i be here?” 

“As long as you want i guess.” Hau said. “It’s different for everyone. Some guests stay for only a little while. They find what they need and leave again. Some decide to stay.” 

Gladion stared, “So when people disappear they really are just staying on the islands?” 

“Yep yep. Those that leave don’t usually say anything about their time here either. They aren’t the guides, you know? It’s not their job to help people get there. They gotta do that on their own.” Hau said, pulling Gladion over to a man who had obviously been cooking. Without being asked he passed over two round bun things. 

“To share,” He gave Hau a pointed look. 

“I was gonna!” Hau said, taking them and handing one to Gladion immediately. “We can eat while we talk. Have you ever had a malasada before?” 

“No. It’s good?” Gladion asked, sniffing the treat once. 

“The best!” Hau gushed, leaning Gladion over to a large tree with seemingly even larger roots that stuck out of the ground at varying heights. One tall enough to be used as a bench for the two of them to sit on as they ate. 

Hau had already begun eating his before Gladion took his first bite. He was only just realizing that it had been hours since he’d eaten and he’d been willing to try anything once the rumbling in his stomach occurred to him. 

“It’s delicious.” he mumbled, earning a muffled happy squeal from Hau that couldn’t have been anything else given his full mouth. He didn’t really get treats at home and they were even more non existent while traveling. At most Ms. Wicke was the one to occasionally sneak him something. 

While he was still a little unclear over what he was eating, he was positive that it was amazing. 

“What does it mean that you’re a guide?” Gladion asked. “I mean you seem genuinely excited about it.” 

“I think it’s a nice job.” Hau said, “Helping lost people find a piece of them self. A long, long time again, Alola was only our four islands. It was where we lived and loved, but then the humans started to come. They were travelers you see, looking for land. So we gave it to them. More and more came, so more islands were needed. We’ve given them six so far because while they might not have know where they were going, they weren’t lost. Only the lost can come here.” 

Gladion took another bite. “Why?” 

Hau smiled, “Well, otherwise it would be like someone giving you directions to a place you already know how to get to. It’s unnecessary and time consuming for no reason. They weren’t lost, they didn’t need guidance, but those that did always found their way to us.” 

“And you like it?” Gladion repeated. 

“I do so far,” Hau nearly whispered, looking Gladion up and down before smiling. 

Gladion nearly choked on his last bite of malasada and went back to clearing his throat. “Why stay on your own islands? Why not go to the other Alolan islands.”

“We can. We do. This is home though. I will always love it on Melemele the most. Maybe it’s silly but i’m still pretty young. I guess i get home sick. You know how that is.” 

“No, not really.” He sighed, wiping his hands on his jeans. “I used to maybe but i haven’t had much of a home since i was a kid.” 

“Oh Gladion. I’m sorry.” Hau said, inching closer. “Maybe that’s why you found yourself here.” 

Gladion shrugged. “I have no idea how i found myself here. Not really. I mean, yeah i got in the boat but it was wishful thinking more than anything else.” 

“Dreams start off as wishful thinking.” Hau said. “It’s the first step in really making your dreams into a reality.” 

“That…” Gladion smiled a little. He’d never heard anything sound so pretty and so true at the same time. His mother’s advice was always so practical it sounded cold. When he was younger he told himself she was trying to be helpful but the older he got the less he thought so. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“As long as it’s okay with you,” Hau continued. “We have all the time in the world to find what you’re looking for.” 

“I’ll give it a shot.” Gladion said, looking up a the large presence descending on them. 

“Hau!” 

“Grandpa! Hey!” 

The man was huge, already towering over them before he was even close to them. He seemed older, his hair stark white and covered with several decorations. He was more heavyset, but that only increased the number of tattooed swirls and dots that covered his skin. His sarong was similar colors to Hau’s, only the patterns were different. He felt the sort of ancient that Gladion had been expecting from the start. 

“I see you’ve found a wanderer.” He said. 

“Uh huh. This is Gladion. I’m going to help him find what he’s looking for.” Hau smiled at Gladion. “This is Hala. He’s my grandpa and the Kahuna of Melemele. 

“Kahuna?” Gladion repeated. “Um, nice to meet you sir.”

Hala tipped his head back and laughed and suddenly, Gladion could see Hau’s resemblance to the imposing man. “Mutual, my boy. Welcome to Melemele. You’re in fine hands.” 

Hau seemed to take the compliment with excitement. “We’re gonna explore, grandpa. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.” He shifted his attention back at Gladion. “Kahuna means he’s in charge. When people say there’s a god on Melemele, they’re talking about him. The rest of us are a little further down on the totem pole.” 

“I see. So each of the four central islands has a Kahuna?” Gladion asked.

Hala nodded. “You catch on quick, my boy. Very good. It’s been some time since we had a new face around here. No matter the length of your stay, i hope you enjoy yourself.” 

“I don’t see how i couldn’t.” Gladion mumbled. “Everything here is so different. So new to me. I hardly know where to look.”

“Then i’m even more sure you are in capable hands.” Hala said, sliding his grandson a look. “Do your best.” 

“I will,” Hau nodded, rocking from side to side happily. “But i think we should maybe start tomorrow. Today should be for relaxing and getting used to your surroundings. We may as well start with Iki Town. You’re probably exhausted just from getting here.” 

“Well i can’t deny that,” Gladion said, leaning down and picking up Litten to rest the cat in his lap. The purring was enough to tell him that the attention was appreciated. “Were will i stay?” 

“With me!” Hau beamed. “I have room! It’ll be fun i promise. I can show you where i live and everything.” 

Gladion chuckled. “Well you’d have to if i’m going to stay with you. You’re sure it’s okay? I don’t want to inconvenience you.” 

Hau reached out, grabbing Gladion by his emerald beads to tug him closer. The goths face went red all over again. What was with this green haired man entering his personal space and why did he like it...“You are our honored guest. Do not feel badly.” 

“Hau.” Hala chuckled. 

Hau released Gladion with a faint pout. “I know.” 

Gladion blinked, glancing between the two of them. It wasn’t hard to feel like he’d missed something between them. “Um?” 

Before he could ask there was a booming voice that approached them. “Hey there cousin! You made it!” 

Kukui appeared, still showing off his swirling tattoos but had switched out his shorts for a colorful skirt thing. He was grinning at Gladion. “I knew you’d make it here.” 

“You…” Gladion blinked. “You a sort of guide too?” 

Hala laughed, “You could call him that. His wanderlust knows no bounds.” He slapped a large hand against Kukui’s shoulder as he turned to walk away. “You would be stirring up trouble.” 

“No trouble, no trouble!” Kukui snickered. “When it’s time, it’s time! You can’t argue that.” 

“Time?” Gladion tried following along but how did one keep up with a group of gods talking about things so new to him. 

“Kukui is a different kind of guide. He sends people our way when he thinks they need some direction. He travels around all ten islands in case he stumbles across someone that should try to make their way here.” Hau explained. 

Gladion practically scowled at Kukui. “You could have just said all that rather than let me think i was making a stupid decision.” 

“Hey, you call it a stupid decision, i call it a leap of faith.” Kukui grinned. “That was just the sort of jump you needed to get here. Remember, not all who seek find what they’re looking for.” 

Gladion slid his gaze towards Hau. “You’re just surrounded by oracles, aren’t you?”

Hau fell back into happy laughter as Kukui snorted and waved to them as he chased after the Kahuna. 

“You’re funny. I like you.” Hau smiled, still vibrating from his laughter. He touched a strand of Gladion’s hair and seemed as fascinating with the blond color as Gladion was with the green. “Why don’t we snag some dinner and head home for the night. We’ll have plenty of time for adventure later.” 

“I think that sounds nice…” Gladion said, feeling oddly at home here. He had very few friends but they were important to him. The vibes he got from Hau were similar and gave him more of a sense of home than he’d had in years. 

He let Litten jump from his lap and stood up to follow Hau. The sun was setting and lanterns were lit. The trees and flowers themselves almost seemed to glow and if this wasn’t magic, Gladion wasn’t sure he’d ever see it. The wild animals that roamed all settled calmly and more women were shoving bits of food at them as they passed. 

It was a delicious dinner around a sea of friendly people and Hau remained by his side the entire time. There was a split second where he wondered if Hau was guiding him, or guarding him. It was a thought that slipped away the second Hau took his hand again and lead them to his home. 

To Gladion’s surprise it wasn’t on the ground like some many of the others he’d seen bits of, but it rested in the trees themselves. A staircase made of branches spiraled up the tree and onto the deck surrounding the little home. It was enchanting and Hau seemed happy to share it. 

“Made it myself.” Hau mumbled, almost shy. “I’ve never really had a visitor stay before. Certainly not someone from off the island.” 

“It’s incredible,” Gladion breathed. He hadn’t wanted to mention when he first saw it that he was unnerved by heights but he felt nothing but safe now. Flowers practically grew out of the walls and Litten had even followed them up. 

There were lights scattered around that kept them from standing in darkness but Gladion couldn’t figure out for the life of him what they were. They sure didn’t look like any lights he was used to seeing. 

“You really made this place?” 

“Yep!” Hau said, looking proud. “I’ll show you around inside. We can talk about where you want to go or maybe what you’d like to see. There’s time.” 

“Yeah,” Gladion smiled a little. If he’d known that morning when he woke up he’d end up having all these mushy, shy feelings on a god by the end of the day… 

Getting in that boat really hadn’t been such a stupid decision after all. 

Hau held the door open for them as they wandered inside, those strange lights appearing again. On a hook just inside, was his black jacket he’d completely forgotten about in the boat. 

“How…” 

Hau’s smile was gentle. “Thought you might want that back. I like colors, but i have to say that jacket probably looked amazing on you.” 

Gladion went hot in a flash and stuttered out a vague response. He followed the green haired god in and couldn’t help but wonder if Hau was the magic he’d been hoping to find.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration for Hau came from this art. This artist is super amazing. 
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/hercium/art/hau-651111645


End file.
